


Seven Days

by Sapphicsarah



Category: Holby City
Genre: Berena Appreciation Week, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Firsts, Mentions of childbirth, Tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-03 15:09:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11534784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphicsarah/pseuds/Sapphicsarah
Summary: Berena Appreciation Week





	1. Tropes

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 Prompt: Tropes! So I did enemies to lovers!

Serena Campbell and Bernie Wolfe are archenemies. Anyone who works at Holby City can tell you that. The two have been leads on warring wards for at least two years, almost as soon as Bernie Wolfe arrived after an unfortunate explosion half a world away. She'd become the lead of Darwin soon after that atriocaval shunt. 

They’d met in theatre, when Serena had needed a trauma consult. Bernie had swanned in, attempted to take over, and Serena had had none of it. They fought viciously. And it only got worse.

Whenever they are in the same room, the air is hushed. They spar in the boardroom over funds, nearly yell at each other during heads of department meetings. They glare over broken bodies when forced to operate together.

Everyone knows that Bernie Wolfe and Serena Campbell absolutely loathe each other. Darwin and AAU are loyal to their leaders, often taking sides in clinical decisions. But outside the hospital, the two staffs are jovial about the whole thing, often taking bets on who will win the next argument. Losing staff buys the other unit a drink. Serena knows about the bets, and tries not to get in the way of their fun. After all, this is a private war.

It all changes one day, when a young woman is stabbed. She’s stable and fine on AAU, until she isn’t. She’s bleeding out, quickly. Serena is scrambling and shouts for someone to page Miss Wolfe as they wheel the young woman into theatre. Bernie is suddenly there and for the first time Serena notices that they work in concert, wordlessly knowing what the other needs. It’s an odd feeling and Serena doesn't have time to process what it means, so she turns back to the task at hand and asks for a clamp.

The woman is saved, wheeled out and alive.

Serena is exhausted and she slowly takes off her gown and cap as the room empties. She turns to look back into theatre and sees Bernie lingering by the empty bed, as if fascinated by the piece of equipment. Serena isn’t sure what to say, since they’d done the job and done it well. They’ve never not been angry with one another, or at least frustrated, and she feels at a loss. 

“Good work,” Serena says finally, before turning to leave. She spins when she hears Bernie whisper.

“Why do you hate me?”

Serena stops, and her heart catches in her throat.

“I...I don’t,” she murmurs. And Bernie looks at Serena in a way she’s never looked at her before.

Suddenly they are standing face to face, and Bernie’s hand is resting gently on her cheek. Bernie kisses her softly, then pulls away and lets Serena wait. Serena cannot bear the waiting, and kisses Bernie back.

…

They avoid each other. When Bernie comes down to operate or consult, Serena is always somewhere else. When a hand is needed in theatre, she sends in Raf or Morven, depending on the acuity of the case. She even starts calling down Mo for heart cases, instead of Bernie.

She avoids Pulses, and starts taking the stairs. They don’t even make eye contact at the next board meeting. Hanssen  watches them and quirks an eyebrow, so Serena avoids him too.

...

On Mother’s day, Ellie and Jason take Serena out to dinner. It’s an Italian restaurant with an extensive wine list. The restaurant is familiar enough that it suits Jason’s schedule, and the wine is good enough that it suits Serena. Ellie is simply happy about the garlic bread.

Halfway through the meal, Serena looks up and sees Bernie walking through the restaurant, following two young people. _Charlotte and Cameron_ , Serena thinks.

They look like Bernie, and Serena is suddenly curious to know what Bernie is like as a mother. What she’s like out of the confines of theatre and beyond the tyranny of the boardroom. _What does Bernie Wolfe do for fun?_

Suddenly, Bernie looks across the crowded restaurant and sees her. Serena looks away quickly and takes a large gulp of shiraz, swallowing and patting her lips with the cloth napkin.

After they’ve ordered dessert, Serena goes to the toilets. It’s a beautiful room, with golden decor and a large, intricate frame that wraps around the mirror. Serena is alone in the room, and takes a moment to look at her reflection. She applies another coat of mascara, and is about to pull out her lipstick when the door opens.

It’s Bernie.

Her eyes are dark and she has that look again and Serena forgets to breathe.

Bernie walks right up to her and pushes her into a stall. She locks the door and one hand wraps around Serena’s waist and the other buries itself in her hair. Serena’s hands flail momentarily, before coming to rest on Bernie’s shoulders.

Bernie’s fingers clench down on Serena’s hair, and she tugs, and slowly forces Serena’s head back, until it hits the wall with a gentle thud. She’s breathless, completely still, and _desperate._

Bernie leans in and whispers into Serena’s ear.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

Serena gasps as Bernie slowly licks up her neck. She nips at Serena’s ear, and the hand at her waist begins to pull her blouse from her trousers. Serena is too distracted to answer, and feels like she can’t breathe, but realizes she’s panting. Her fingers are turning white, she’s holding onto Bernie so hard. And then she’s being kissed.

It’s nothing like their first kiss, which had been soft, surprisingly gentle. This kiss is focused, and Serena’s head lolls back further as Bernie slips her tongue into her mouth. She moans, and feels her knees give way.

Serena gasps when Bernie slips a knee between her thighs, and she hates that Bernie chuckles at the wanton sound.

“I hate you,” Serena whimpers pathetically. Her voice is breathy and her eyes drift shut as Bernie bites her neck.

“No you don’t,” Bernie whispers, before kissing her soundly.

Serena can’t help but place one hand in Bernie’s soft hair, and she tries to yank her closer. Her legs are like jelly, and she rocks against Bernie’s thigh, and Serena smiles into the kiss when she feels Bernie groan.

 _God she’s good at this,_ is the last thought she has until the door to the toilets is flung open, and the sounds of the restaurant comes blaring through.

Serena wordlessly untangles herself and walks swiftly out the stall and back to her table.

…

Things change after that.

Every interaction is charged, heady with tension. Serena is sure others notice it, notice how Serena cannot tear her eyes away from Bernie’s lips as Bernie is arguing with her. They are arguing again. Serena realizes that Bernie is beautiful when she’s angry. She pushes Bernie’s buttons, curious to see what happens if they have an audience.

What happens is that Bernie gets quiet and calls Hanssen  and they compromise after being scolded like schoolgirls.

Serena grumbles and Bernie acquiesces and they operate and save the patient. Bernie follows her afterwards, walks with her all the way to the car park and slowly lifts her hand up Serena’s skirt. They are in between cars, in the corner of the car park, tucked away where no one can see. Bernie pushes Serena against the driver’s door, and Serena lets herself be pushed. She rests her forehead on Bernie’s shoulder and whimpers when Bernie’s hand is high enough to gently cup her.

“I want you to look at me,” Bernie whispers.

Serena’s head is impossibly heavy, and she slowly lifts it up and looks. She gasps at the sight of Bernie’s face so near her own. She’s always surprised by the darkness of Bernie’s large eyes. The pure wanting, whenever they stand this close.

“Have dinner with me,” Bernie asks softly. The question is unexpected, and frightening, and Serena doesn’t know what to say. Her legs tremble and her eyelids flutter when she feels Bernie’s fingers caressing her inner thigh.

Bernie’s hand goes still at Serena’s silence, and Serena opens her eyes so they can look at each other. For the first time Serena wonders what she’s doing, letting Berenice Griselda Wolfe touch her. Here, in the car park, where anyone could see if they looked hard enough.

Serena tries not to be disappointed when Bernie pulls away and leaves her panting in the darkness.

…

They pass like ships in the night, and Serena begins to miss her. Damn woman.

A phone call from Darwin comes in, requesting a particular drill that Serena knows she has to use later that day. Bernie is trying to steal equipment.

Serena gets angry and loses her temper and shouts “Berenice Bloody Wolfe” across the ward. F1’s cower, nurses scatter, and Morven flinches. Bernie comes barreling through the doors an hour later.

They have it out in the office, and Serena tires not to think about how she missed their battle of wits. How she’d forgotten what it's like to have an equal standing before her, someone who can take her and have it be a fair fight. She’s missed this.

She thinks Bernie’s missed it too, because it turns out they have another drill up on Darwin, that had mysteriously reappeared almost as soon as Bernie made the ominous descent to AAU. Serena has her hands on her hips and is victoriously and snidely explaining the proper procedure of sterile processing and the storage of important drills when she realizes that while she was ranting Bernie has shut all the blinds.

“Please,” she whimpers, as Bernie presses her against the filing cabinets.

…

They don’t do dinner.

Rather, they serendipitously and totally by accident, run into each other at Albie’s. Bernie sits down next to her on the couch and sinks into the cushions, as if she has been sitting next to Serena for years. She casually drapes her arm around Serena and places her hand on the back of Serena’s neck.

It’s an intimacy that Serena has never shared with a woman, at least never so publicly. The feeling of Bernie’s hand is heady and Serena knows that Bernie knows what simple touches do to her. She only has one glass of wine, and Bernie watches her the entire time. Watches her as Raf and Fletch come over to speak to them. Watches her when Sasha tells them about his day, bumbling and laughing, and sweet. Serena can barely focus on what he’s saying, because Bernie begins to stroke her fingers up and down, massaging the hairline at the nape of her neck.

When Sasha has excused himself and they are finally alone, Bernie asks her to come home with her.

Serena follows Bernie’s car, and parks on the street across from Bernie’s flat. She walks up the stairs and follows Bernie into the quiet home, and lets herself come undone.

…

It’s hard to stop, and Serena is convinced she’s addicted to Bernie. Addicted to her voice, her hair, her face and neck. She’s addicted to Bernie’s hand being beside hers in theatre. Addicted to Bernie’s fingers inside her.

Bernie starts appearing in theatre more often, and they fight, but less often. The arguments are always over patient care, and almost always resolved quickly. No need to call Hanssen anymore.

Serena often wakes to Bernie getting up in the early morning. It’s an old habit from the army, hard to break. Serena loves to watch Bernie from bed. She lays back in the pile of pillows and watches Bernie get dressed and brush her teeth. She sighs whenever she watches Bernie tie her hair back.

She loves it when Bernie appears on the ward, with coffee and pain au chocolate in hand. Her heart clenches when she finds a note on her computer screen.

_Sushi for dinner alright? -B_

She texts a quick ‘yes’, and realizes that it goes unsaid that they’ll have dinner every Wednesday when Jason is out. They’ll drive into work together on Thursday and Fridays, and make sure that when Bernie is on call she has a packed lunch that was made in Serena’s kitchen.

Serena slowly sits down, as she realizes that of all the things she loves in the world, she loves Bernie the most.

…

They are lying in bed, after a particularly vigorous session. They're still panting, and Serena is a little out of breath when she says into the darkness, “I’m in love with you.”

Bernie goes still and Serena’s heart breaks. Perhaps she’d imagined it all? Perhaps somewhere along the line things got all muddled up, and they really are just fucking.

But Bernie’s hand is suddenly on Serena’s cheek, and she lets a tear fall. Because the touch is infinitely tender, and her fingers are quickly replaced by lips and Bernie kisses her sweetly. The kiss is gentle, surprising and kind. Just like the first time they kissed in theatre, almost a year ago.

Bernie whispers into her ear, “I love you too.”

Serena kisses her back.


	2. Firsts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Two Prompt: Firsts! I may have got a bit angsty. Mind the tags.

First Kiss

Serena’s first kiss is on a dare. She’s eleven and at a birthday party at the park. Sally Bishop dares her to kiss Andrew Smith, a ginger who plays football and loves dinosaurs. He’s shy and Serena isn’t, so she runs up to him, quickly looks back to see that Sally and the girls are watching, and kisses him right on the lips. She giggles as she pulls away and whispers, “Hi Andrew.”

He blushes furiously and whispers, “Hi Serena.”

Serena turns and runs back to the party, grinning from ear to ear.

…

Bernie is drunk. Or at least she thinks she is. She’s had half a beer and feels strange and decides she doesn't want to drink anymore. The party is loud and crowded and Bernie feels drained. She climbs out the window and onto the balcony, and takes a deep breath. The night air is cool, and the noise is a little duller out here. Bernie feels instantly better.

The stars are shining, and Bernie is thankful she’s out of London and in the country for a little while. She can never see the stars in London.

“That’s Orion’s Belt,” murmurs a small voice to Bernie’s left.

She looks down and sees Rebecca James leaning against the side of the house. Her hands are wrapped around a cup of tea, and Bernie finds it strange to see the most popular girl at school hiding from a party.

“That constellation, there.” Bernie follows Rebecca's pointed finger, and looks up into the sky at the familiar shape.

“I see it,” Bernis says lamely. She’s not sure what to do. Not entirely sure why Rebecca is even talking to her.

“You’re Bernie, right?”

Bernie nods, and frowns at the strange feeling in her chest that settles after the realization that Rebecca knows her name.

“Enjoying the party?” Rebecca asks after a moment, and Bernie shakes her head with small smile.

Rebecca scoffs, “Me neither.”

Bernie cocks her head in confusion, and decides to throw caution to the wind and settle down a little ways from Rebecca. She rests her back against the side of the house, and turns to look up at the stars again. The music continues to blast, and people are milling around outside in the garden below.

Bernie feels miles away and is surprised when Rebecca comes a little bit closer, so that their shoulders are resting side by side. Almost touching.

“Sometimes I see you looking at me,” Rebecca whispers, and Bernie closes her eyes in shame.

She opens her eyes when she feels Rebecca's hand on her thigh, and turns her head to see a kindred spirit. Someone like her, hiding in plain sight. The kiss is sloppy, heavenly and wonderful, and Bernie cannot help but be frightened by her world irrecoverably shifting. She stands up quickly and goes to find Marcus.

 

First Surgery

Serena is young and naive, worried. She doesn’t even touch the patient, and instead stands in the corner shaking. Her glasses fog up from her breath behind the mask. It’s a simple cholecystectomy. A surgical removal of the gall bladder. Serena has memorized the steps, each stage of the procedure, what blade the surgeon will use, the closing technique, and the way they will bandage the wound. She’s thrilled by the room and the quietness, the sterile order. Everything is in its place, every tool has a purpose, and every cut and suture is precise.

Afterwards, Serena calls her father, babbles to him on the phone about the surgery, her voice high and excited. She plays with the necklace around her neck as she speaks. Serena goes to bed that night and dreams of shining scalpels.

...

It’s Bernie’s first day of clinical at medical school. The day is long and boring, filled with chasing labs and doing grunt work for consultants. Just before Bernie is about to leave, the ward is full of commotion. There’s a trauma, and a nurse drags her into theatre, and hurriedly says they need someone to help retract the abdomen.

The room is cold, until the lights are shining and her gown is being done up behind her by the nurse. Then it's hot and claustrophobic and Bernie is surrounded by faceless figures and she realizes she doesn't know any of their names. She holds the Richardson retractor fast, and tries not to let her arms get tired. The operation is long, bloody, and packs and packs disappear into the abdomen. The surgeon is muttering to himself, and Bernie realizes for the first time that doctors are not infallible.

The patient dies a few hours later.

 

First Birth

Labor is bloody awful. Serena almost wishes Edward wasn’t there. She wants her father, and wishes more than anything that he had lived to meet his granddaughter. Serena paces back and forth in the small hospital room. She places her forehead against the cool glass of the window, and opens her eyes to see the tiny people, all the way down in the car park below.

She paces and paces, until she can’t walk anymore. Kneels over the bed and screams until the nurse comes running and they take her into theatre. Serena doesn’t like being a patient in her own theatre, and she stares at the tiles of the ceiling as they drape her body. She hates not being able to see, hates being out of control.

Edward is back, and Serena can smell the whiskey on him as he leans down to tell her to breathe. She decides then that the marriage won’t last. She doesn’t know for how long, only that it has an end date.

And then, Elinor is placed in her arms. She is squealing and wet and shockingly red. Serena cannot help but love her instantly. She loves her daughter with her entire being, with everything she’s got. She promises to love her until her dying day.

“Hello, stranger,” she whispers.

 ...

Cameron is a terrible child. Bernie takes to calling him ‘Cameron’, even though they had decided not to find out the gender. Pregnancy has been rough, to say the least. Morning sickness, having to go to the loo every five minutes, kicks waking her up in the middle of the night. Quarter past three, every night.  She’s lost count of the number of hours she lies awake, her hands resting on her stomach as Cameron twists and turns.

Bernie is ready to give birth, ready to have this baby and to stop feeling so huge. She always was a small person, skin and bones. She doesn’t like taking up space, hates being the centre of attention. Old women come up to her at the shops and place their hands on her belly without asking. It’s alarming the first time, and Bernie isn’t sure what to do. Now, she snaps and walks away, unwilling to share this part of herself with strangers.

In the last few weeks of her pregnancy, Bernie is ill. She takes to staying home from work, finally taking her maternity leave. Her mornings are spent in the garden, and that’s where she feels the first sharp contraction. She’s been feeling funny since last night, but had chalked it up to the meal she had attempted to cook for her and Marcus. Bernie never was a good cook.

She bends down as another contraction rips through her. _That’s too quick_ , she thinks. The contractions are too close together.

She realizes she’s been a fool, that she’s been in labor all night and didn’t know. Cameron comes early and unexpected, when Bernie is all alone in the garden. Bernie gathers herself and staggers to the phone, Cameron safely tucked into her arm. She dials 999 and they wait in silence for the ambulance to arrive.

 

First Meeting

Bernie is about to light a cigarette, that last cigarette, when she receives a text from Marcus. She’s started to reply when she hears that voice for the first time.

“What part of ‘I need my car today’ do you not understand?”

Bernie sees the woman from earlier that morning, standing in the same spot in the car park. 

“Engine been growling or whining?”

The woman turns, seemingly a little startled. She’s so pretty that Bernie has to come closer.

“Any intermittent smell of hot or burning rubber?”

“Define intermittent?”

“Alternator might be cactus,” she says as she removes the unlit cigarette from between her lips.

“Sounds bad,” the woman pans.

“It is if you want to drive anywhere.”

The woman chuckles before gesturing to Bernie. “Funny, you don’t look like a mechanic, apart from the fag.

Bernie smiles, and the woman smiles back, and god it's wonderful to talk to women. Women are so beautiful and Bernie cannot help but flirt.

“I’m not a mechanic, I’m a trauma surgeon.”

“Ah, you must be Berenice Wolfe. Serena Campbell.”

And suddenly Serena’s hand is in Bernie’s and Bernie feels the world shift again.

She’s not sure why she tells this stranger the story about the cigarette. She could have lied, said she didn’t have a light, or that she’d been distracted by her mobile. But she tells the truth, and it feels so natural to talk to Serena that Bernie feels elated and the day seems less grim. She turns away and texts Marcus that the shift is going well.

 

First Night Together

The first night they spend in the same bed is the night Bernie comes back from Kiev. Bernie is all keyed up, but emotionally exhausted from the day. She’d taken a redeye flight, and is going on four hours of sleep. But she can’t say no when Serena asks her over for dinner.

Dinner leads to Countdown, and suddenly it's late and Serena quietly asks her to stay the night.

“We don’t… we don’t need to do anything,” Serena swallows. She looks nervous, anxious and sweet, like that week after they’d first kissed.

Bernie takes Serena’s hand and smiles. “I’d love to stay.”

Serena’s smile is so radiant that Bernie has to look away.

They brush their teeth in companionable silence, and Bernie washes her face with a white cream from a glass bottle that she guesses is probably extravagantly expensive. Serena gives her a pair of pajama bottoms and an old Harvard t-shirt to sleep in. The clothes smell like Serena, and Bernie knows she’ll probably steal the shirt in the morning and take it home with her tomorrow. Just like Serena does with her Holby hoody.

When the lamps are turned off and all is soft darkness, Bernie pulls Serena close.

After a moment, Serena whispers in a small voice.

“Please, don’t leave before I wake up.”

Bernie is confused and she begins to answer before Serena says, “I dreamed about you a lot while you were gone.”

Bernie takes in a sharp breath. She reaches for Serena’s hand once more and holds it tight, trying to say how sorry she is. How glad she is to be back, to have this back.

“I dreamed about you all the time," Serena continues. "And every morning I woke up. And you were gone.”

Bernie gathers Serena into her arms and nearly cries at the way Serena clings to her.

“I’ll be here when you wake up,” Bernie promises.

In the morning, Bernie wakes Serena with soft kisses. A kiss to her temple, her forehead and nose. Kisses to her neck and earlobe. Kisses to her breasts and finally, finally a kiss to her lips. Then, Bernie makes love to Serena for the first time.

 

Second First Meeting

The first time they see each other after everything is in France. A tiny village, with a large, sprawling vineyard. The rolling hills are green and vast and Bernie cannot blame Serena for finding happiness in this place.

Serena takes her to the river, and they sit on a large rock and let the sun warm them until the afternoon is almost over. Bernie is always struck by how quickly days with Serena seem to go. As if each moment is devoured by time, weeks flying past after years and years of waiting to feel this peaceful around another person.

Serena is softer now, changed. Bernie loves her even more. They stand by the river at dusk and watch the slow moving waters. Serena slips her hand into Bernie’s and leads her up the bank, down the path, and to her cottage.

It doesn’t feel like an ending. It feels like a shift, and the moment of them walking home together is bursting forth, and Bernie feels like she’s twenty all over again. The darkening air surrounds them, and Bernie leans down to kiss Serena at the threshold. Serena tastes the same, and Bernie sinks into the simple and familiar pleasure of kissing. She’s kissed Serena a thousand times, and yet it still makes her heart thump in her chest. Bernie feels Serena wrap her arms around her neck, and for the first time, she truly understands why Serena had to leave.

To stay would have meant an ending, and Serena chose this; to disappear for a time, to retreat long enough that they may eventually come back to one another. It is a selfish thing, to vanish without a word. But Bernie begins to understand, and the night is ordinary and quiet, yet boundlessly full of hope.

Bernie follows Serena into the house, and when they are in bed, Serena asks her to stay. For the first time, Bernie promises to stay forever.

 


	3. Pre-series

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day three prompt: Pre-series. Super short entry today, had real surgery and was tired. Sorry!

Serena is on the 13:00 train out of London, back to Holby. It’s crowded, and she feels hot and clammy. She clings to the metal bar as the train sways on the rails. It’s standing room only, and she’s nearly pressed up against a young couple behind her. The train pulls into a stop, and Serena poises herself for the little jolt that happens before the doors open. 

It’s strangely warm for an English summer, and Serena can’t wait to get home and drink a tall glass of water. Or perhaps just a glass of shiraz. The air is thick and heavy, and she is tempted to rest her forehead on the cool metal beneath her hand. 

The doors open slowly, and a few people rush out into the heat. A couple more step off the platform and into the train. There is a young woman a few doors down, about Serena’s age, and she just makes it before the train begins to pull out of the station. Serena’s first thought is that she’s uncommonly pretty. Her long, blonde hair is coming undone from a plait that’s hanging off her left shoulder, and her eyes are large and wide. She scans the seats and walks slowly through the narrow space, until she reaches the space just in front of Serena. 

Her arm reaches out and grasps the pole, and they stand next to one another, swaying as the train begins to pick up speed. 

The woman looks right at her, and Serena feels suddenly faint. It’s a brief glimpse, but somehow Serena feels exposed, torn apart. She looks away and out the window as London slowly turns into green countryside. 

Passengers filter out, and the crowd becomes thinner and thinner with each stop. Eventually, a seat becomes available, but Serena doesn’t move to sit. She stands next to the woman, with the sweet perfume and the golden hair that is shining in the afternoon sun. After one particular jerk of the train, Serena’s hand slips on the pole, and for a moment, their fingers touch. 

“Sorry,” Serena murmurs, and quickly moves her hand back up. 

The woman smiles politely and gets off at the next stop. 

…

Serena is never sure if it was Bernie. It was almost twenty years ago, and sometimes a memory fades or changes the more one looks at it. And if she could remember, how would she say it?

_ I saw you long before we ever met.  _

It was a hot day, and we stood side by side, and our hands touched. It’s a ridiculous, romantic notion, and Serena isn’t sure how to tell her new colleague these things. One day when they’re walking to the car park, Bernie’s hair lights up in the afternoon sun, and Serena knows its her. 

She tells Jason about Bernie’s hair, and doesn’t know why she tells him it's an unruly mess, rather than lovely and probably wonderfully soft and silky. She tells him she has more power, and Bernie brings it up later as a joke, long after they’ve become friends. 

Serena sometimes forgets about that day on the train, but when Bernie is in Ukraine, it's all she can think about. Bernie with reading glasses, and a copy of Pride and Prejudice sticking out of her handbag. She had been radiant, and Serena had watched her walk off the train, until she rounded a corner and slipped out of sight. 

Fate and destiny had never been something Serena put much stock into. She’d always preferred to be in control, rather than let the great wide universe decide things for her. But when Bernie is sleeping beside her in their bed, all tucked up and warm, Serena thinks about the time they arm wrestled. She remembers the feel of Bernie’s fingers gently wrapped around her own, and how she felt when Bernie leant in a little closer. 

Serena sits up, and looks down at Bernie sleeping soundly. She pushes Bernie’s fringe back from her forehead, and kisses her temple, careful not to wake her. Bernie’s hair is almost silver in the moonlight, and Serena snuggles in a little closer. She wonders if she’ll ever tell Bernie, wonders if Bernie will think she’s a mad fool. Romantic and silly, an old woman in love. Serena smiles at the thought, and falls asleep with Bernie wrapped in her arms. She dreams of chance meetings, sweaty palms, and the golden light of morning. 

 


	4. AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: Prompt Au. Two rival bookshop owners who despise each other in real life, unwittingly fall in love through the internet. Or the You’ve Got Mail au that got out of control.

Serena starts every day the same way. She wakes up, puts the kettle on, then checks for an email from Holby152. There’s a new one, sent late last night. It’s short but Serena reads it voraciously.

_Don’t you love Holby in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms..._

Holby152 goes on to talk about the city, walking to work, and simple things she sees along the way. These words and observations have been Serena’s constant companion for nearly six months. She had turned 50 in March last year, and had drank quite a bit of shiraz and spontaneously opened up her laptop and stumbled onto a “women over 50” chat room. She clinked the link for a laugh, but Holby152 had been there too. The mysterious woman had also recently turned 50, and they got to talking, and soon their correspondents became daily emails. Almost like penpals, Serena thinks. Well, electronic pen pals.

They had started with books, then moved onto music. They both lived in Holby, and they loved the city. It’s harmless, meaningless conversation, until Holby152 missed a day, and Serena began that morning constantly refreshing her email. She had been grumpy all day at the store, looking at her mobile behind the counter while customers filtered in and out. She’d been anxious for some reason, and only then did she realize that she missed hearing from her. She missed it.

Not meaningless then.

Perhaps it is close friendship she feels, for Serena has never been more than friends with a woman. But there is something there, a feeling that Serena can’t quite pin down. The feeling is like her chest bursting when a new email comes, or a fierce longing when the email is late. It’s that feeling she has when something good happens to her, and she can’t wait to email her friend about it. Serena decides to ignore the symptoms, and walks the five blocks to her bookshop.

It’s a pleasant walk, and the autumn air is crisp, and the September sun is warm. Parents are holding their children’s hands, as they walk across the road to the school. The bakery is opening, and Serena can smell the pain au chocolate sitting in the display window. Brown bags of bread hang in the door-frames, and the flower shop is just about to open.

Serena stops to buy some daisies, then walks a little further to her own shop around the corner. It is an inviting store, almost irresistible in its charm. The windows are lined with fairy lights, and books of myths and legends are open in the display case. Witches and wizards, and all manner of magical creatures are tucked away in the stories, sitting in scattered piles throughout the store. A giant teddy bear in a pinafore is reading a new book called Holby Cathedral.

There are wooden shelves lining each wall, and nooks and crannies with little chairs, perfect for children to hide away and read. Serena sighs as she walks through the door, and pulls out a vase from the cupboard. She places the daisies in the vase, and puts it on the counter by the register. She flips the sign on the door to say ‘open’, and gets to work.

…

Bernie is running late to work. She is exhausted, having stayed up late into the early hours. Her new branch is about to open in the centre of Holby City, and a great deal of work has yet to be done. Bernie had not always wanted to go into the family business; churning out new branches of Wolfe Books, a cheap bookstore chain, but here she is, soon to be named CEO of the company.

For now, she still oversees the opening of new branches, deals with architects and business managers, and coffee suppliers. The books seem to sometimes be an afterthought. Despite the late hour the previous evening, Bernie had stayed up even later to write an email to Shopgirl. Thus making her exhausted, rather than simply sleepy.

Bernie doesn’t know Shopgirl’s real name, which makes it hard to talk about this person who is quickly becoming very important. They had been talking for so long, that Bernie feels she knows her. And yet, they don’t discuss anything personal. They had made a rule about that. They don’t know each other's name, where they live in Holby, or what they do exactly.

It would be so easy to just stop. To simply stop writing to her, but Bernie misses her without ever really knowing her. So, on this cloudy morning in September, Bernie decides to ask Shopgirl to finally meet.

She smiles into her coffee at the decision, and trudges past the flower shop and bakery. Bernie walks past the horde of school children, and rounds the corner to the construction site of Wolfe Books’ -Holby Branch, then disappears behind the plastic tarp.

…

Serena is not pleased by the invasion of Wolfe Books. They are a cheap store, with thousands of square feet, plush armchairs, swift checkout lines and discounts. And great cappuccinos.

They’re competition, in a neighborhood that has always been dominated by local business that have been around for as long as anyone can remember. Serena is worried all the same. She knows the Wolfe heir apparent, has met her at a few dinner parties actually. Working in literature means they travel in the same circles, and have a few friends in common. Bernie Wolfe is a brilliant business woman, one who actually knows books and has an eye for what will sell. She’s tall and blonde and strikingly beautiful. Yes, Serena is worried.

But the store opens a few weeks later, and she and Jason sneak in, as if casing the joint. They walk around the superstore, staring at all the industrial decor and the hollow displays and the Starbucks kiosk. Its large and ridiculous and soulless. Serena thinks her shop will last a year.

She almost wants to fight the introduction of Wolfe Books, wants to stage rallies and write letters to editors and protest discount book stores that are cheap and offer no real customer service. Serena doubts any of the salesman actually know anything about books, or the influence a story can have on a child.

Serena has been in business forever, and in her heart of hearts, she wants to believe that the world is not driven by discounts. ‘The Shop Around The Corner’ had been her mother’s, and eventually Serena had taken over when it had become too much. But the thing she remembered most from her childhood was that her mother was selling books that would shape and help children to grow into the people they were going to turn out to be. Her mother had said “When  you read a book as a child it becomes part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your life does.”

The saying stuck with Serena, and she tells that to Bernie Wolfe at a Christmas party. She tells Bernie Wolfe that her store is cold and empty, devoid of any true warmth or feeling. She tells Bernie Wolfe exactly what she thinks. Serena always was good at manipulation, and she can tell she hurts the millionaire Wolfe woman. Serena instantly regrets it, and walks home as snowflakes begin to fall softly.

She writes to Holby152 and tries to explain how her tongue always gets her into trouble, how she hurts people, sometimes thoughtlessly. And sometimes with intent.

Holby152 doesn’t write back for two days.

…

Serena Campbell is beautiful. That is the first thought Bernie has when she sees her at a conference in the summer. She has short brown hair, eyes that sparkle, and a wit that keeps Bernie on her toes. Bernie wishes with all her heart that they weren’t rivals. She thinks perhaps they could be friends, and Bernie tries for a while. But Serena Campbell has a voice like a winter wind, and she cuts Bernie to the core.

Bernie tries to fight the new branch in Holby City, just three streets away from ‘The Shop Around The Corner’. But it's a big city, and the opportunity is too great, and her father pushes a little too hard. Eventually Bernie gives in, and begins planning. She says goodbye to any possibility of a friendship with Serena, and dedicates six months to the planning of the new superstore. It will be their largest branch, and will become a new epicentre for the chain.

The day before construction begins, Bernie takes Dom to Serena’s bookshop. They peek through the lovely windows, and eventually walk into the little store. It’s heaven, and Bernie knows that she would have loved this place as a child. The air is quiet, and Dom cannot help but smile as he finds a rare book that his father read to him when he was small. Dom has always loved books, and had climbed the ranks of Wolfe Books to become Bernie’s right hand man.

Dom pushes her to be cold, a cool and icy business woman in the face of such beautiful competition. Bernie takes up smoking again after Serena confronts her at a Christmas party. The only thing that keeps her going is Shopgirl’s emails. They’re charming and lovely, almost irresistible. Completely irresistible. Bernie asks her to meet at a cafe by the park, and she writes back that she’ll have a copy of Pride and Prejudice waiting on the table. Bernie feels herself falling a little more in love.

She decides to finally tell someone about Shopgirl, and foolishly settles on Dom. He declares the entire istuation an emergency and takes her shopping, buys her a pink coat and a new scarf and demands she get a haircut.

“Or at least sort out your fringe,” he huffs.

Bernie grins and lets herself be dragged around town, until she’s deemed ready and Dom takes her on the long walk to the cafe. She stops three times in the park, feeling the nerves get to her, and when they reach the cafe, she cannot go in. She makes him look through the frosted window, and tells him to search for a woman over 50 with a book.

Dom stands on his tiptoes and peers into the cafe, ducking rather suddenly and looking ashen. He slowly turns around to face Bernie.

“Can you see her?” Bernie asks excitedly.

“Yes,” Dom gulps.

“And?” Bernie is nearly jumping out of her skin, she’s so excited.

“She’s very...pretty?” Dom says uncertainly.

“I knew she would be!” Bernie says with a grin. “What else?” she asks eagerly.

Suddenly, she realizes Dom looks nervous, and Dom never looks nervous. Bernie steps a bit closer as Dom says something under his breath.

“What?”

“She looks…” Dome takes a breath. “I would say she looks a little like, that Serena Campbell you’re so afraid of.”

“Serena Campbell of the bookstore?”

“Yeah,” Dom says. “You said she was pretty once.”

“So what?” Bernie asks nervously.

“It is Serena Campbell.”

Bernie just stares at him. Then, she elbows Dom aside and sticks her nose to the glass of the window. Sure enough, there she is, Serena Campbell of ‘The Shop Around the Corner’, waiting for Bernie with a copy of Pride and Prejudice on the table.

“Fuck,” Bernie whispers.

…

Holby152 is late. Five minutes, and then fifteen, and then Bernie Wolfe shows up and Serena is furious and sad and lonely. She’s vicious and cruel to her, and watches her walk away with her shoulders hunched, looking like a kicked puppy. Serena cannot bring herself to write when she gets home. Doesn’t even open her laptop. Instead she shuffles into the house, kisses Jason on the top of his head, and goes to sleep in her clothes.

She writes in the morning. Writes her heart out and tries to hide that she’s enamored, enchanted, in love. She doesn’t know how she got here, being in love with a stranger. She was in the middle before she knew it had begun. In the morning she writes to her, short and sad, and so unlike her normal writings that Serena hesitates, and then hits send.

_I've been thinking about you. Last night I went to meet you, and you weren't there. I wish I knew why. I felt so foolish. And as I waited, someone else showed up: a woman who has made my professional life a misery. And I was cruel to her, as I so often can be to people. But, no matter what she’s done to me, there is no excuse for my behavior. Anyway, I so wanted to talk to you. I hope you have a good reason for not being there last night. You don't seem like the kind of person that would do something like that. The odd thing about this form of communication is you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many... somethings. So, thanks._

...

Bernie is devastated.

The woman she’s been dreaming about has been there in front of her all these months. This person she has longed for, now even further out of reach. She toys with the idea of telling Serena, but rejects the notion after reading her email. It takes Bernie two days to finish it. Going back and starting again, reading it over and over until she can read the whole thing without her heart bursting.

Serena is Shopgirl.

It’s almost blaringly obvious when she thinks about it. Bernie spends a few days looking through their old emails, watching their relationship develop and grow, until they were speaking daily. She sees hints at their encounters, in the sharp words Serena uses to talk about “the competition”. The icy and aloof blonde that Serena thinks she is. It’s strange, to hear about yourself from another’s perspective.

Bernie finally writes back, after she’s admitted that she just put the woman she loves out of business.

 _Dear friend: I cannot tell you what happened to me last night, but I beg you from_ _the bottom of my heart to forgive me for what happened.  I feel terrible that you found yourself in a situation that caused you additional pain.  But I'm absolutely sure that whatever you said last night was provoked, even deserved. And everyone says things they regret when they're worried or stressed.  You were expecting to see someone you trusted and met the enemy instead.  The fault is mine._

…

She doesn’t mention meeting again, and Serena tries to be fine with that. She wants to write to say they can meet halfway, perhaps facetime or video message or something. Instead, she accepts the situation, and quietly resigns herself to never meeting.

The shop closes. After a year of fighting, slowing sales, and being in the red, Serena packs up the store and leaves it for the last time. She walks home with the doorbell faintly ringing in her hand.

_My store is closing this week. I own a store.  Did I ever tell you that? Probably not.  It's a lovely store and I have loved every minute I ever spent there. In a week, it will be something else, and no longer my mother’s shop, my shop. Just an echo of something that was probably over a long time ago. I miss you._

…

Bernie convinces her friend Henrik Hanssen to give Serena a job. She demands that he keep the whole thing between them, and convinces him to reach out to Serena and have her think about publishing a book. Bernie knows Serena’s writing, has read her words for almost a year and a half now, and has absolute certainty that anything she writes will be a hit.

“She knows everything,” Bernie tells him earnestly. “She has flawless taste.  She's famous for it. The salesmen swear by her.  If she writes it, it will be a bestseller.”

The Swede is all too happy to oblige, since Serena's reputation in the world of children’s literature speaks for itself.

The book is about two young girls, writing to each other across worlds, writing and writing for years. Until they meet and join forces and battle a great evil. The short book is a success, and there are already talks of a sequel. Bernie couldn’t be prouder.

...

Serena has a cold and Bernie Wolfe brings her flowers. A few nights ago, Serena and Henrik and gotten gloriously drunk off of shiraz. They had stumbled through the streets of Holby and ended up in front of Wolfe Books where Serena had nearly been sick on the pavement.

Henrik tells her in an accent made thicker with wine, that it was all Bernie’s idea. Henrik and her meeting, the book pitch, the whole bit. Serena is confused, and then gets a cold.

Serena lies across her sofa in just a robe and pajamas, surrounded by piles of tissues. Bernie Wolfe, the woman who has haunted her for a year brings her flowers. Daisies, her favorite. Bernie hesitantly sits in the arm chair by the window, and the bouquet of daisies lies between them on the coffee table. After a moment of awkward silence, Serena says in her stuffy voice, “I know your little secret.”

Bernie stiffens, and looks… frightened. Serena has never seen the great Bernie Wolfe shaken, and she cannot help but feel a little proud of finally rattling her.

“I know you set up the meeting between me and Henrik Hanssen.”

Bernie’s shoulders relax, and she seems relieved. Serena is confused by her reaction, but asks anyway.

“Why?”

Bernie looks at her lap, where her hands are neatly folded together. She looks up and Serena sees only kindness in her eyes.

“I put you out of business, the least I could do was help you start again.”

Serena cannot quite find it in herself to thank Bernie, but they talk for a few minutes. Bernie sees Serena getting sleepy again, and leaves as quietly as she arrived. Serena always sleeps when she’s poorly. She dozes after the door clicks shut behind Bernie, and has strange dreams.

In the weeks that follow, they become something, perhaps even cordial acquaintances. Bernie organizes a book signing for her at Wolfe Books, and it's a big hit. Lines of children and parents are spilling out of the giant doors and into the street.  It feels surreal for Serena, sitting in the store that brought about the end of something she thought would last forever.

Bernie even gives Jason a job, and he completely revamps the children’s literature section of Wolfe Books. He revitalizes it, and even insists on putting in twinkly lights. Serena meets Bernie’s children, Cameron and Charlotte, and Jason gains two friends. Serena is the most grateful for this, and ever so gradually, she and Bernie become friends too.

Serena tells Bernie about Holby152, and Bernie eagerly tries to guess the meaning behind the name. She makes up scenarios of their meeting, and makes Serena laugh harder than she'd laughed in years. Bernie becomes important, almost a permanent fixture, and she helps Serena plan another book. They share a bottle of shiraz when her book is published in fifty languages and officially deemed an international bestseller. 

She tells Holby152 that she’s made a friend, and suddenly feels pulled in two directions.

So she decides to choose, and asks Holby152 to meet again, to have another go of it. Bernie seems nervous about the whole thing, and helps her get ready, picking out her clothes and rummaging through her closet. Serena tries to remember the first time Bernie came to the flat, and feels that warm sensation in her chest when she can’t remember when they became so vital to one another.

Holby152 will meet her in the park at 2 o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday. She will be holding a bouquet of flowers and standing underneath the large weeping willow by the river. Serena only tells Bernie they’re meeting at the park, and doesn’t know why she holds back details, nor why she feels guilty for going. She gets dressed quickly, settles on a skirt and blouse and walks out the door to meet her pen pal of almost two years.  

She’s walking away from her flat when Bernie calls after her.

“Wait!”

“Bernie I’m going to be late as it is!”

“Serena, it's just that…”

Serena shakes her head, trying to understand what could be so important. Bernie knows what this meeting means.

“Sometimes I wonder.”

“What?”

“If I hadn't been Wolfe Books and you hadn't been The Shop Around the Corner and we'd just met-”

“Don't,” Serena whispers.

Bernie shakes her head and smiles that smile that makes Serena go weak in the knees.

“I would have asked for your phone number and I wouldn't have been able to wait 24 hours before calling and asking, "How about coffee, drinks, dinner, a movie, for as long as we both shall live?" Bernie’s voice is soft and full, and Serena can’t take it.

“Bernie,” Serena sighs. Her heart is breaking.

“And then we would never have been at war.”

“No,” Serena says. “No war.”

Bernie seems so very sad, and her voice is wistful.

“If only,” Bernie whispers. “Perhaps one day you’ll forgive me? For putting you out of business.”

Serena looks over her shoulder, anywhere but into Bernie’s eyes.

“Please Bernie, I have to go.” She doesn’t move.

They look at each other, a last long look.

“You don’t want to be late,” Bernie whispers, and Serena nods as she blinks back tears. Bernie turns and walks away. And after a moment, Serena does too.

…

Serena enters the park, and walks along the stone path that follows the river. She reaches the centre square, and sits on a bench to gather herself. She’s nervous, so she watches the runners running along the path, sees the parents pushing their children in prams, dogs playing fetch and wagging their tails. To the outside world it's a normal Saturday afternoon. To Serena, it is everything.

She whispers to herself, “Pull yourself together Campbell,” and marches towards the Willow.

The trunk is big and wide, and Serena can just make out the shape of a bouquet of flowers on the other side. She takes a deep breath, and rounds the corner.

Bernie is standing there, shining and brilliant, and holding a bouquet of daisies, and newly-sharpened pencils wrapped in a pink ribbon. Serena cannot help it, so she starts to cry.

Bernie turns at the sound of her sob, and doesn’t hesitate a moment. She comes to Serena, and puts her arms around her. Serena buries her face into Bernie’s shoulder and whispers over and over again into Bernie’s neck.

“I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.”

Bernie is rubbing circles on her back, slow and soothing. She turns her head to drop a quick kiss to Serena’s temple.

“Please, don’t cry Serena.”

“I can’t help it, I love you so much.”

Bernie pulls Serena closer, her arms tight and sturdy and real. Serena finally pulls her head up and looks into Bernie’s eyes.

“I’m sorry I lied about all this,” Bernie murmurs. “Is there anything I can do to convince you to stay?”

Serena smiles, a radiant smile, and leans up on her tiptoes.

“This will do,” she whispers, and brings their lips together in a kiss.


	5. Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I skipped smut and will probably come back to it. Hard to write atm.

The morning is foggy and hazy, and the day is still half-sunk in gloom. Serena looks out the bedroom window and thinks it a little dreary, but filled with memories. It’s a kind of summer day that makes one stop and recall little pockets in time that were long forgotten. Memories caught in sunlight on a spider’s web, the dew on the grass and the mist on the windscreen of the car. The world is all moisture, soon to evaporate with the rising of the sun.

Serena evaporated a few months ago. Completely burned away by everything.

She’s still gone, far away and not as adrift as she thought she’d be. Working as a doctor in France can be a little difficult at times, what with a language barrier and all that. But the little village had needed a doctor, and she’d been there and liked the look of the surgery and decided to take the job.

The job comes with accommodation. The little cottage is at the top of a large hill, and the roof is covered in moss. A small garden spills out from the house and all the way to the little lane. It is filled with mint and wild flowers, blues and pinks, and heavenly green. Serena had stood at the end of the lane, grasping the big brass key, and taken in a deep breath. Walking up the path had felt like a beginning, and she had felt at home at the sight and sound of the large door swinging open. The latches creak and the garden needs weeding, but it will do.

The villagers are like something out of Doc Martin, charming and sweet and a little dim. Village life is dominated by the sea, and the majority of Serena's patients are fishermen and their families, the owners of the small inn, and any patrons of the local pub.

They learn quickly that to appease the scary British doctor, one must bring a bottle of the finest Shiraz to their appointment. Or a box of chocolate, if the visit is unannounced and without appointment. Madame Serena loves her chocolate, and will be quick and kind about the stitches if she’s properly paid.

Her cottage is only a few hundred meters up the hill from the surgery, so the walk to work is short and peaceful. She notices a small tabby cat one morning, peering at her through the bushes.

“Bonjour,” she murmurs softly, before continuing on her way.

That night, it's warm and she sits out on the terrace behind the cottage. She has some bread with cheese and strawberries and is watching the sunset. It is a lovely evening, and she's not sure why she does it, but she goes and sets a small bowl of milk by the door. She drinks another glass of wine and takes a picture of the sunset and sends it to Bernie. She hesitates before typing out ‘Wish you were here.’ Thinks better of it, and simply says ‘Goodnight.’

The milk is gone in the morning.

…

Serena is still lying in bed, gazing at the fog as it rolls away, when she’s interrupted by gentle snoring. She turns and sees Fluffington splayed on the bed, paws outstretched and tail perfectly curled. Serena smiles at the sight and turns to look at the human beneath the feline.

Bernie and Fluffington had taken to each other rather quickly, just as Serena had fallen in love with the small creature in the hedge. Fluffington had invaded the cottage, becoming master of the house in the span of three days. Serena cannot find it in herself to be dismayed by the whole thing. Rather, she embraces the morning cuddles, and the soft meowing when she arrives home. Gentle headbutts in the armchair on Saturday afternoons, and the tabby swishing about her feet as she puts the kettle on.

Sometimes, Serena is convinced that Jason only facetimes her to see a glimpse of Fluffington. Not even an ocean could stop Jason’s love for the kitten, and he’s coming in a few days time. On their last call he had sounded excited and anxious and had described the most meticulous travel itinerary Serena had ever heard. She can’t wait to see him.

Bernie snores a little louder, and Fluffington swishes his tail in response.

Serena decides to wake Bernie, before the fog disappears all together.

“Bernie,” she whispers.

Fluffington’s ears perk up, and Bernie shuffles a little bit, before settling back down again.

Serena smiles, and reaches out to push back Bernie’s mane of golden hair. Her fingers graze along Bernie’s forehead, and Serena is once more struck by how beautiful Bernie is. She traces a cheekbone with her thumb and leans over to kiss Bernie’s temple.

“Bernie,” she murmurs against warm skin.

Fluffington sits up and yawns, before looking down at Serena and the other human in their bed. He doesn’t seem bothered by the intrusion, and leaps off the bed and onto the windowsill to survey his kingdom.

Bernie’s eyes slowly flutter open.  

“Hi, sleepyhead.”

Serena grins at the sound of Bernie groaning.

“Too early,” she huffs, before shuffling closer. She buries her face into the side of Serena’s neck, and Serena has to fight off a shiver as Bernie breaths into her ear. She’s been without touch for a few months. Perhaps longer. Serena had always been a tactile person, and she had no idea how touch starved she was until Bernie arrived late last night. She’d been warm and soft and Serena hadn’t let go of Bernie’s hand for nearly an hour after walking through the door.

Bernie had nearly clung to her last night, and Serena feels her chest hurt at how good it is to be held again.

Serena wants more than hand holding now, and she whispers into the foggy morning.

“Kiss me.”

Bernie is still for a moment, then sits up and leans on one elbow. Her hair falls down around her face as she hovers just above Serena. Her face is all loving concern, and Serena nods and leans up to kiss her.

Bernie meets her halfway.

…

The villagers are curious about the new English Doctor who runs by the bakery every morning. Her French is not as good as Madame Serena’s, but it’s getting there. Fluffington follows this new doctor like a shadow, and he sits patiently outside the bakery door when she goes in to buy two coffees and pain au chocolate.

They discuss the changes in their doctor, the lightness that wasn’t there before. One villager even swears he saw Madame Campbell smile.

“Impossible,” they say.

And yet, there she is, smiling in surgery as she attends to patients. She’s even seen sharing a bottle of shiraz at the local pub, and the villagers hear her laugh for the first time. They make a toast and learn Bernie’s name and all get quite drunk. Serena treats them in the morning with her trusty hangover cure.

Months later, the fishermen tip their hats as they walk by Madame Wolfe, and smile when she nods back. Soon, no one can remember a time before the two doctors lived at the top of the hill, with their cat and nephew.

The garden blooms and the seasons change. Summer to autumn to winter and back. It’s summer again, hot and foggy and heavenly. It’s been a year since Bernie finally came to France. The tides come and go and Serena’s hair is all silver and Bernie holds her every night as they fall asleep. They grow a little older, and fall a little more in love. All of their clothes have cat hair on them. Serena is happy.

And as the sun rises, Serena finally feels the fog roll away.


	6. Smut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, I know. But I wrote it. Finally.

Trauma surgery is sharp and brutal. Saws and jaws and screws. Cold metal on bone. 

Vascular surgery is soft, gentle and delicate, with vessels so small that Serena has to wear her loups to see them. 

Bernie sometimes feels the coldness of theatre seep into her, and she’s hard and cool and pushes Serena down on the bed. Serena whimpers, and clings, begs and pleads and sobs. 

Bernie’s words are loving and kind, but her teeth are razor sharp. She scrapes them up Serena’s neck, and grins when she feels Serena shudder. Serena’s hands are clutching Bernie’s back, and Bernie hisses when she feels fingernails drag along her skin.

She was always small. Gangly and tall, angled and bony, with knobby knees and collarbones. But Serena,  _ oh _ Serena is all softness.  Supple breasts and silky skin, small stomach rolls, and thick thighs.  Bernie loves to sink her teeth into them. 

She bites down.  _ Hard.  _

There is a small trail of teeth marks marching their way up Serena’s inner thighs. The markings are red and blotchy, and Serena protests every time Bernie stops licking at her, sobs every time Bernie bites down in a new spot. Her hands are buried in Bernie’s hair, tugging earnestly. Bernie growls at the pulling and bites harder. 

“Please,” Serena sobs. 

Her voice is high pitched, almost unrecognizable. Bernie grins and kisses the spot she’s just bitten, and slowly kisses her way up to the centre of Serena. She takes her time, gentle flicks against the folds, small movements that make Serena’s hips buck. It’s not enough, and Serena begins to pull again. 

Bernie grabs Serena’s hands and yanks them off her head and pins them to Serena’s side. Serena moans at the feeling of her hands being pressed into the mattress. 

“Oh Bernie, please just-”

Bernie sucks her clit and doesn’t stop. Serena nearly wails and arches her back, and lets out a loud cry. Too loud. 

Bernie stops all together, lets go of Serena’s wrists and crawls her way up to Serena. Serena is nearly shaking, she was so bloody close. Bernie hovers above her, and rests her weight on one elbow. Her hair falls down between them, a golden curtain. Serena is flushed, panting and all sweaty. Her hair is sticking to her forehead and her eyes are glassy. Bernie uses her free hand to push her hair out of the way, then whispers softly. 

“You have to be quiet, my love.” 

Serena closes her eyes and tries to slow her breathing. She nods, and moves her hips, trying to get Bernie to start again. 

She’s too far gone to speak, and Bernie takes pity for once. She places her forehead on Serena’s, but leaves her eyes open and watches Serena’s face as she slowly enters with two fingers. Serena’s mouth opens a little wider in a quiet gasp and Bernie can’t help the small smile. 

She isn’t slow, but isn’t as fast as Serena clearly needs, and it's not long until Serena’s eyes fly open and she’s begging again. 

“Please, Bernie,” she whispers. “I- oh!”

Bernie’s thumb comes up to graze her clit and Serena’s eyes slam shut. 

“Fuck!” 

“Hush,” Bernie whispers smugly. 

Serena whimpers, and Bernie kisses her throat, refusing to silence her with a kiss. Wanting to prolong pleasure is exquisite, and yet torturous. Bernie goes deeper, until she finds that spot that makes Serena nearly squeal. She strokes the spot with the pads of her fingers, and rolls Serena’s throbbing clit with her thumb. Bernie grins when Serena’s legs tighten around her back, trying to pull Bernie closer with her thighs. 

“That’s it,” Bernie murmurs. “I got you.” 

Serena is panting again, and Bernie knows she’s close. 

“Bite down on my shoulder when you come,” Bernie demands. Her voice is cold and the words biting. She uses that tone Serena loves. The Major’s voice. 

Serena goes rigid and sinks her teeth into Bernie’s skin to muffle her cries as she comes. She comes hard, and silently. She’s pulsating around Bernie’s fingers, clamping down again and again, shuddering as Bernie works her through it with gentle circles on her clit. Bernie doesn't stop until Serena’s hand snakes down to desperately pull Bernie’s hand away. 

Bernie doesn't notice the pain until Serena lets go. Until Serena collapses back against the bed and places the back of her hand across her face, seemingly quite done in by the whole thing. Bernie sinks down on top of her, resting her head in the crook of Serena’s neck. Serena hums, and her other hand begins stroking up and down Bernie’s back, soothing the red marks she’d made earlier. 

“You nearly drew blood, my love,” she says after a minute. 

“Hmm,” Serena hums contentedly. 

Bernie sighs and sits up, and Serena opens her eyes again.

“Oh, darling I’m so sorry.” Serena’s voice is a little surprised, and her eyes are wide as she traces Bernie’s shoulder with gentle fingertips. Bernie winces and Serena stops, resting her hand on Bernie’s upper arm. 

“Is it bad?” 

Serena shakes her head. 

“Nothing a little concealer won’t fix.” 

“Good,” Bernie whispers lovingly. She smiles softly, and Serena smiles back. 

She slips off of Serena, and lies down beside her. They pull up the duvet and turn off the lamps, curling towards one another. Bernie wraps her arms around Serena, and feels Serena settle a little more into the pillows. 

And just because she wants to, Bernie nips at Serena’s earlobe, a small love bite. She smiles at the sound of Serena’s sharp little gasp, and soothes the skin with a kiss before drifting off to sleep. 


End file.
